Focusing on political, social and cultural aspects of Mahli tribe, one of the most susceptible tribal groups residing in Jharkhand, a book written by Dr Muzaffar Hussain, an eminent journalist was unveiled on Saturday in the presence of Vidhan Sabha Speaker, Dinesh Oraon, former Chief Minister Arjun Munda and other Ministers. The dignitaries present on the occasion termed the book as the research-based chronology having an accumulation of facts, figures.
The book penned down in Hindi covers almost every facet of the scheduled tribal group residing in Jharkhand and parts of West Bengal. The group mostly resides in Dumka district, while they are unevenly distributed in other regions of Jharkhand and the adjoining areas of Bengal.
The dignitaries present said that the language and presentation of the fact gives clear knowledge of the status of this vulnerable group whose population is on the verge of constant declination. “The book written in Hindi language is easy to understand. The book highlights the journey of Mahli tribe who mostly earns their living through selling dying artifacts made out of bamboo and other small knick-knacks,” said Dean Social Sciences, Ranchi University (RU), IK Choudhary.
The tribal group known for conserving their cultural despite all odds, the book written by Hussain also takes up some pivotal points of linking this specific tribal group with several ongoing government schemes that can eventually aid the community in earning descent livelihood. The chapters that have been elaborately explained through illustrative gives a detailed description of some schemes that can be taken up for the advancement of this community.
While sharing the reasons for picking up one of the vulnerable group as the topic, Hussain on the occasion said, “Since the community is dependent mostly on bamboos for creating their artifacts and is one of the prime sources of their livelihood, the community can be linked up with bamboo and vegetable cultivation for making them financially independent. Also, making people aware about this ethic group was a prime reason for selecting this topic.”
Highlighting on a few facts about Mahli Tribe, the writer further added, “According to the 2011 census, in Jharkhand, the total population of this group was around 1.52 lakh. The fact also suggests that in Ranchi District, the total population of the group falls around 31,764 while Koderma registers the lowest population with merely 75 Mahli tribes residing there.”
